Fastener assembly associated with a mounting surface of such as an electronic control module or battery tray, the mounting surface incorporating a flexural and three dimensional configured receiving aperture profile for reliably seating and retaining an associated mounting fastener with low insertion force in comparison to higher extraction force and with minimal loss of material
A retaining feature incorporated into a mounting surface of a plasticized article which is adapted to receive and retain a fastener prior to final assembly. The retaining feature exhibits an irregular and three dimensional shaped closed profile defined along an interior perimeter configured within the mounting surface and which establishes a degree of flex or bend upon insertion of the fastener with minimal loss of material. The insertion force can be any of lesser, equal to or greater than the extraction force, in combination with providing a rated side load breaking/shearing strength of the bolt from the material defined retaining feature.
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This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/017,985 filed on Jun. 27, 2014, the contents of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to an article, assembly and method for configuring a variety of irregular and three dimensional shaped aperture defining profiles, such as within a mounting surface of a plasticized article not limited to any of a battery tray or ECM (electronic control module). The advantage of such an aperture defining reconfiguration is that in enables the pre-insertion and retention of bolt fasteners during shipping of the tray or module prior to end user installation using nuts, compression washers and the like, and such further occurring with minimal loss of material (such as resulting from shearing of the plastic surrounding the retention feature defining aperture during insertion of the bolt). The variations of the irregular configured and three dimensional aperture defining retention profiles are each further such that they provide varying degrees of flexibility during (low) force fastener insertion, combined with any desired force retaining profile, such as including in one instance high force resistance to (reverse direction) extraction, in combination with respectable side load breaking/shearing strength. Additional retaining feature and inserting bolt fastener combinations are also envisioned, such as in which an insertion force can be designed to be equal to or higher than the (reverse) extraction force, such extraction force typically being set at a certain minimum or threshold.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe prior art is well documented with fastener constructions. Most typically, this includes a threaded bolt, fastener nut and, typically a washer or spring washer. Shipping of large volume components, such as including plasticized materials not limited to battery trays, control modules and the like associated with vehicular installation applications, often include pre-installing (prior to shipping to the final install location) the bolt fasteners through typically oversized apertures in the plastic tray or other support surface (this in order to prevent excess shearing of material during the installation of the bolt), the aggregated cost of the fastener and associated nuts and washers further adding to the overall expense.
Other examples of fastener assemblies include a variable fit fastener depicted in Speraw, U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,791, and which teaches a two piece hand-manipulated variable fit fastener is disclosed with an elongated fastener member having a reduced axially extending portion permitting the fastener member to be folded on itself prior to being inserted through aligned apertures located in a pair of mating surfaces and a retainer element having a plurality of locking surfaces, the retainer element being slidably mounted on the fastener member. After insertion through the aligned apertures in the mating surfaces, the fastener element is unfolded to a position engaging one of the locking surfaces in the retainer element to lock the fastener member in the unfolded position. The positioning of the fastener member in the unfolded position also allows a pair of end shoulder portions to engage one of the mating surfaces and the retainer element to fasten the mating surfaces together.
US 2004/0217236, to Shibuya, teaches a vibration-proof clamp capable of achieving high vibration-proof performance with high reliability. A housing member exhibits a rectangular housing space. An elastic tubing-retaining member is housed in the space of the housing member and is adapted to hold a tube body. The tubing-retaining member includes a plurality of inner tubing-retaining surfaces, with channels provided between the respective adjacent tubing-retaining surfaces, a plurality of cavities being formed within the tubing-retaining member. When the tube body is vibrated and displaced, the cavity and the channel are operable to absorb the displacement of the tube body so as to provide vibration-proof performance.
Finally U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,494, to Strasser, teaches a self-aligning bracket for use in mounting a planar surface such as a roof to a fixed structure such as a bank of fuel cylinders mounted to the roof of a vehicle frame. The bracket provides a locating block on a saddle mount which co-operates with a depression formed on the inner surface of the roof to align fasteners depending from the roof with a coupling fastener on the bracket. The coupling fastener is laterally moveable within an oversized hole in the bracket and engages the locating block to permit co-rotation. An anchor is attached to an end of the coupling fastener so that when the roof fastener is actuated in the coupling fastener, the anchor is drawn towards the coupling fastener, tightening the locating block, coupling fastener and anchor to the saddle mount, preventing further lateral movement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention discloses a retaining feature incorporated into a mounting surface of a plasticized article which is adapted to securely receive and retain a bolt fastener prior to final assembly with a nut. The retaining feature exhibits an irregular and three dimensional shaped closed profile defined along an interior perimeter configured within the mounting surface and which establishes a degree of flex or bend upon insertion of the fastener and with minimal loss (shearing) of material.
The profile, in combination with the bolt, establishes a first bolt insertion force and a second resistance to extraction force. While typically being significantly less than the extraction forced, the insertion force may also be equal to or greater than the extraction force, in combination with establishing respectable side load breaking/shearing strength of the bolt from the material defined retaining feature. To this end, the extraction force may be set at a threshold minimum. Other features include the plasticized article having a specified shape and size not limited to a battery tray or ECM (electronic control module).
An underside configuration associated with the three dimensional shaped closed profile may also include a plurality of interconnecting inner surfaces defining a flexural engaging lip or ledge. A concave shaped channel or cavity extends about a perimeter of the inner lip, defining a reduced thickness of the material mounting surface, and terminates at an outer annular spaced and inwardly facing perimeter end wall. A corresponding underside configuration associated with the three dimensional shaped and fastener stem engaging profile further includes any arrangement of arcuate inner support ledges defining fastener contact locations and, in combination with any alternating or overlapping combination of radial or otherwise projecting slots or profiles, for providing desired properties of non-shearing flex or bend of the material.
Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following detailed descriptions, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
As previously described, the present invention is directed to an article, assembly and method for configuring a variety of irregular and three dimensional shaped closed profiles, such being configured within underside surfaces surrounding the mounting apertures of a plasticized article not limited to a battery tray or ECM (electronic control module), and which define any configuration of retaining feature for gripping the threaded shaft of a mounting bolt upon pre-insertion of the same. As also previously recited, the advantage provided by the various three dimensionally configured material profiles is that they enables the pre-insertion and retention of bolt fasteners during shipping of the tray or module prior to end user installation using nuts, compression washers and the like, and such further occurring with minimal attendant degree of deformation or non-fracturing bending of the perimeter engaging walls associated with the retaining profile, and with minimal loss or stripping (i.e. shearing) of the plastic surrounding the retention feature defining aperture.
The variations of the irregular configured and three dimensional aperture defining retention profiles are each further such that they provide varying degrees of flexibility during (low) force fastener insertion, combined (in one non-limiting variant) with high force resistance to (reverse direction) extraction, in combination with respectable side load breaking/shearing strength. As will be described in additional detail with reference to the following depicted variants, it is also envisioned that material and fastener configurations can be varied (such as by changing the material composition of the plastic and/or retaining feature profiles) in order to modify the insertion/extraction forces. This can include redesigning to increase the insertion force to a value equal to or greater than the (opposing) extraction force, such as which can further be established at a specified minimum.
The above stated,
The ability to in-mold into the plastic material mounting surface (e.g. battery tray or ECM control module) an aperture profile having a reduced material thickness, and which can flexurally deflect to a given degree in order to grip the threaded edge of the bolt stem (such as following initial or pre-installation and prior to shipping and final installation at a remote location) without incurring any significant degree of material fracture or shear. In this fashion, secure and reliable pre-insertion of the bolts is enabled prior to shipping and results in significant reductions to each of material, manufacture and assembly of the desired component exhibiting a plasticized mounting surface.
For purposes of ease of illustration, the material structure, typically a plastic mounting layer associated with each of the three dimensional retention features described herein, is depicted in
Without limitation, any of the material retaining profiles (not limited to those depicted herein) can additionally or alternatively be integrated into separate components, such as configured within an additional attachable layer (as can be established by piece 10) and having a length, width and thickness. As shown, such can include any of a square/rectangular, disk or washer shape, such as which can be aligned with a reverse face of a primary plasticized or material mounting layer (see as represented in partially exploded fashion by layer 23 in
For purposes of such an alternate variant, the material layer may further include additionally formed/configured apertures, or which may possess standard sized and shaped apertures such as shown at 25 and which are arranged in alignment with the retaining profile configured upon the square shaped or other attachable component applied to a face of the primary material layer in alignment with its standard or otherwise configured aperture, and through which the bolt 4 or other suitable fastener (standard screw, self-tapping screw, etc.) can be inserted in a likewise minimal material shearing and material deforming/fastener restraining fashion prior to end user installation.
The first and second rotated views of the retention feature depicted in the initial example of
The aperture exhibits a unique profile for receiving the threaded bolt stem, such as again can be accomplished in one non-limiting application by injection molding of the base plastic layer and which can further exhibit an overall configured material thickness the same or even less than the surrounding uniform base layer. Without limitation, the upper facing side of the material layer (see again
A typical failure condition is characterized by inversion of the material surrounding the aperture retaining feature (e.g. the profile defined edge collapses in a reverse/outwardly facing direction to the concave defined underside beyond which the bolt shaft is press fit), and which is typified by the high force resistance of the feature profile edge to extraction of the bolt stem. Additional testing protocols further contemplate application of a 90 N side load (i.e. a force applied at either of the 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock positions as opposed to a straight down pushing force (at 6 o'clock or 12 o'clock directions as in
The inverted (underside facing) perspective of
Upon inserting the fastener 14 in the manner shown in
Proceeding to
As further shown in
The profile of
Finally,
The illustrated variants described are intended to represent only a few of an unlimited number of configurations and profiles which can manipulate or reconfigure the base layer material (such as including but not limited to a plastic or composite material exhibiting some degree of flex or bend in response to bolt fastener insertion) in a manner so as to achieve desired ranges of insertion, extraction and resistance to side loading forces. As previously indicated, this can include modifying (e.g. increasing) the fastener insertion forces to equal or, in certain instances, exceed the opposing extraction forces, such extraction forces usually being above a certain minimum threshold.
The test data referenced herein is further understood to be of supporting and explanatory value and which reinforces the understanding that profile reconfigurations are possible for engineering desired material holding properties to the base layer in a desired application. This can further include such test data factoring in side load forces applied from multiple directions and angles, as well as elevated temperatures resulting from more extreme environmental condition (e.g. readings at 90° C. reflecting operating within warm weather climates and/or heated engine compartments within which a battery tray, ECM module or the like can be located). To a lesser degree, extreme cold weather conditions may also affect the properties of the materials utilized.
Other variants further contemplate utilizing any process, system, kit or assembly for creating a desired material retaining profile configuration, such again not limited to any type of in-molding or other process for quickly and inexpensively producing a tray, ECM module or the like, again without the requirement of a backing nut or washer applied to such as the reverse face of the material, and in order to hold the pre-installed bolt in place prior to final assembly of the component (such as again to a vehicle). Consistent with the above, the present invention also contemplates the provision of a kit including the plastic article with mounting profile along with the inserted bolt fasteners, the mounting profile again capable of being integrated either directly into the material mounting layer of the battery tray, ECM, etc., or alternatively incorporated into each of a plurality of washer like attachments (such as aligning against the rear face of the mounting layer and overlapping standard mounting apertures in order to receive the threaded bolt).
Yet additional variants contemplate optionally providing a final installation nut for attachment to the pre-assembly of material mounting layer (with configured flexural and aperture defining profile) and attached bolt. Other variants contemplate the aperture defining profiles exhibiting inner threads (see as shown in phantom at 330 in the enlarged example of
Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A retaining feature integrated into a mounting layer of a plasticized article, the article having a length, width and thickness with an upper surface and a lower surface, the retaining feature is adapted to receive and retain an exteriorly threaded fastener prior to a final assembly of the plasticized article, said retaining feature comprising:
- the plasticized article having an inner perimeter defining an aperture within the mounting layer;
- a series of interconnecting surfaces integrated into said inner perimeter visible from the upper surface, and including outwardly recessed undulating portions alternating with inwardly projecting portions, said inwardly projecting portions each having a tapering thickness in at least one of radial and axial directions as well as tapered inwardly from the upper surface, each projecting portion flexing upon through engagement of the fastener;
- the lower surface of said mounting layer defining a perimeter depression which is concave in cross section and extending outwardly from said inner perimeter, said inner perimeter visible from the lower surface including a plurality of arcuate interconnecting surfaces which, upon installation of the fastener, flexes outwardly; and
- the fastener establishing a first insertion force and a second resistance to extraction force.
2. The retaining feature as described in claim 1, said insertion force being any of lesser, equal to or greater than said extraction force, in combination with respectable side load breaking/shearing strength of the bolt from the material defined retaining feature.
3. The retaining feature as described in claim 1, further comprising said extraction force being set at a threshold minimum.
4. The retaining feature as described in claim 1, the plasticized article having a specified shape and size not limited to a battery tray or electronic control module.
5. An assembly for mounting a first plasticized article to a second article, the first article having a length, width and thickness with an upper surface and a lower surface, the assembly comprising:
- the first article having a mounting layer integrating a retaining feature;
- a fastener pre-inserted through an aperture defined by an inner perimeter of said retaining feature and prior to final assembly;
- said retaining feature further including a series of interconnecting and closed profile surfaces defining said aperture and, as visible from the upper surface, including outwardly recessed undulating portions alternating with inwardly projecting portions, said inwardly projecting portions each having a tapering thickness in at least one of radial and axial directions as well as tapered inwardly from the upper surface, each projecting portion flexing upon contact with an inserting stem portion of said fastener;
- the lower surface of said mounting layer defining a perimeter depression which is concave in cross section and extending outwardly from said inner perimeter, said inner perimeter visible from the lower surface including a plurality of arcuate interconnecting surfaces which, upon installation of the fastener, flexes outwardly; and
- a further engagement aperture formed in the further article, the fastener being engaged through the aligning apertures and deflecting outwardly the tapered portions establishing a first insertion force and a second resistance to extraction force.
6. The assembly as described in claim 5, further comprising said plasticized article having a specified shape and size and not limited to a battery tray or electronic control module.
7. A retaining feature integrated into a mounting layer of a plasticized article, the article having a length, width and thickness with an upper surface and a lower surface, the retaining feature is adapted to receive and retain an exteriorly threaded fastener prior to a final assembly of the plasticized article, said retaining feature comprising:
- the plasticized article having an inner perimeter defining an aperture within the mounting layer;
- a series of interconnecting surfaces integrated into said inner perimeter, visible from the upper surface, and including outwardly recessed undulating portions alternating with inwardly projecting portions, said inwardly projecting portions each having a tapering thickness in each of radial and axial directions as well as tapered inwardly from the upper surface;
- the lower surface of said mounting layer defining a perimeter depression which is concave in cross section and extending outwardly from said inner perimeter, said inner perimeter visible from the lower surface including a plurality of arcuate interconnecting surfaces which, upon installation of the fastener, flexes outwardly; and
- the fastener, establishing a first insertion force and a second resistance to extraction force.
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Type: Grant
Filed: May 13, 2015
Date of Patent: Dec 12, 2017
Patent Publication Number: 20150377276
Assignee: U.S. Farathane Corporation (Auburn Hills, MI)
Inventor: Steve Porter (Romeo, MI)
Primary Examiner: Flemming Saether
Application Number: 14/711,656
International Classification: F16B 41/00 (20060101); F16B 37/08 (20060101);